Tan Strensky
Tan Strensky is a former Elite League player, head coach, and general manager. His entire career was spent with the Chandrila Patriots, where he won five Galactic Cups of Limmie (three as a player, two as head coach and general manager), appeared in 10 Galactic Cup Finals, and set the all-time scoring record over the span of a 23 year playing career. He has been inducted into the Limmie Hall of Fame. Playing Career Strensky was a highly touted player coming out of high school on Chandrila. Aggressively courted by several teams, Strensky chose to play for his homeworld Patriots, who were in the middle of an embarrassing championship drought having last won in 158 ABY, shortly after the formation of Elite League Limmie. Strensky immediately made an impact on the league and was viewed as the future of the Patriots franchise. After his rookie season in 219, Strensky was named captain of the Patriots at the age of 19, making him the youngest captain in Patriots history to this day. That leadership was well rewarded in 220 when Strensky led the Patriots to their drought-breaking championship over the Ithor Herders. The championship made the team's players planetary heroes, especially local boy Strensky. Instantly, Strensky was one of the most marketable players in the Elite League. The next bout of greatness would come during the period of 228–230 ABY when the Patriots would have three consecutive Burgundy & Green Brawls with their archrivals of the period, the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers. During this time, Strensky developed and cemented an intense rivalry against Smugglers captain Rhia Grames, who led her team to Galactic Cups over Strensky in 228 and 230. The rivalry would be on that would extend beyond their time on the pitch. Strensky's final cup came in the twilight of his career at the age of 40 in 241 when Strensky in his 22nd year as captain gutted out a win against the improbable upstart Tynna Navigators. In a postgame interview, Strensky announced his intention to retire as a limmie player. He was universally lauded as one of the greatest to have ever played the game. Some have contended that he is the greatest player in the history of limmie, though several other candidates have been mentioned. After his retirement, Strensky was inducted into the Limmie Hall of Fame in 242 ABY. Strensky provided a bright spot for the Patriots even when his teammates were underperforming. Though Strensky missed the playoffs several times, he was consistently ranked high in scoring even in the later years of his career. Crendan Era Coaching The Patriots organization was eager to keep close ties with Strensky. In 243 ABY with the Patriots falling back into mediocrity, the Board of Governors felt Strensky out to assume the dual roles of head coach and general manager. Strensky had no coaching experience and the Board of Governors felt that the novelty of Strensky returning in the role of coach would be enough to generate fan interest in Patriot games. Strensky accepted the offer after some consideration and assumed coaching and GM duties in 244 ABY. Strensky's first two years as head coach were unimpressive with the team failing to make the playoffs in both seasons. With fan resentment growing, the Board of Governors gave Strensky one final year to turn his team into winners. Strensky put his faith in Reina Kether, who had been named captain of the Patriots in 245. The faith turned out to be well placed as the Patriots captured their first Commissioner's Trophy in 246 ABY. However, in what would become known as the First Great Patriot Upset (though at the time it was only the Great Patriot Upset), Strensky's Patriots were stunned by the Corulag Swoops, a team they had beaten 34-6 in the last game of the regular season. Strensky held the course and made no roster adjustments in 247. He did, however, hire a former Patriot player, Marte Nalo, to be his offensive coordinator during the offseason. Nalo and Strensky were the architects of what was to become the highest-scoring offense of the Crendan Era and a 7-1 team that captured another Commissioner's Trophy and a Core Conference championship. This time, however, the Patriots would prevail in the Galactic Cup Final, winning against the Tatooine Sandskimmers on a last-second goal by Kether. The Patriots continued to enjoy incredible success in the Crendan Era under Strensky. They had particular success against the Coruscant Senators in the Revolutionary War. From 246 to 252, Strensky boasted a 9 game undefeated streak against the Senators that was only snapped in the 253 meeting of the Brawl in overtime. This fact alone endeared him to the Patriot Nation as head coach. During this time Strensky's old rivalry with Rhia Grames was renewed. Grames was now the skipper of the Smugglers franchise and the meeting of their teams were fierce ones every time they were played. In 251, Strensky's Patriots returned to the Galactic Cup Final, which was being hosted at Stoney End Park on Chandrila. The Patriots had an identical record to the eventual champions, the Sabilon Skookumchucks of Glee Anselm, but were shocked to be trounced by the Skookumchucks. The home loss in the Final became known as the Second Great Patriot Upset). The Patriots returned to the Final the following year where they faced off in the Friendliest Rivalry in Limmie against the Bakura Miners. The heavily favored Patriots were upset once again. In the next few years the Patriots would have a mixed record, which marked the ebb of Strensky's time at the helm of the franchise. However, the Board of Governors kept faith with Strensky's methods and kept with him. They were rewarded with the 256 Patriots, who would go through the Senators and the Smugglers en route to an upset victory of their own of the Corellia Rebels. Strensky's victory in the Galactic Cup Final would be his last. During the offseason, he announced his decision to retire. In perhaps one of his most impressive accomplishments, Strensky left his successor, Aileen Wynn, with a team that went back to the next two Galactic Cup Finals, both of which were played against the Corellia Rebels. Legacy Strensky continues to be revered as one of the greatest players ever. He has completely retired from the sport, but has a lifetime admission to Patriot games at Stoney End Park courtesy of the Patriots organization. Strensky's influence on the sport has been memorialized in a number of ways: *The rivalry trophy for the Burgundy & Green Brawl is known as the Cleats of Glory and is made up by a game-used cleat from both Rhia Grames and Strensky. *In the Limmie Futures League, one of the two conferences is named the Strensky Conference. Appropriately, the other conference is the Grames Conference. The champions of each meet in the Futures Cup Final, held prior to the Galactic Cup Final. Strensky's tenure as head coach and general manager ushered in an era of Patriot dominance in the Crendan Era. The Chandrila Patriots are widely considered to be the team of the Crendan Era as a result of his work. Additionally, Strensky's protege Reina Kether, who was the backbone of his Patriot teams as head coach, eventually followed in Strensky's footsteps to become dual head coach and general manager like he had been to her. Category:Chandrila Patriots Category:Players Category:Coaches Category:General Managers Category:Hall of Fame